


The Truth of the Yoba Cult

by veggiewolf, VievaWood



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Book of Yoba, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 06:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 18,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7157720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veggiewolf/pseuds/veggiewolf, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VievaWood/pseuds/VievaWood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why is Pelican Town so strange?  Why do bunnies have so many feet?  These questions and more explained by the True Book of Yoba, written by Yoba Himself on the Iridium Tablets of Knowledge, illuminated by the Prismatic Shard of Truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Anthropologist's Guide to Pelican Town

Pelican Town is a small land blockaded off from the rest of the world by mountains, ocean, and a road that is blocked off to all that attempt to pass it. And yet, people move there. People move away. There is the internet, and shopping, and somehow most citizens of Pelican Town seem to think the land they live in is entirely normal. Visitors come for the various holidays, or to see the sights, and then leave without really having a sensation of anything being wrong. And yet, even a cursory glance at the way things work shows that this place is far from normal.

Take the rabbits. They drop feet. Yet, they never seem to run out, nor do they seem to mind the loss of these feet. They simply drop them and carry on with their day, as though losing a foot here and there is entirely normal behavior. All the animals appear to be hermaphroditic, excepting only the slimes of all creatures. They appear to come in two sexes, though identifying which is which has been deemed far too dangerous to actually attempt.

Care to do some mining? Feel free, but the mines are full of the aforementioned slimes, along with many other creatures found only in that mine system. This, too, is taken as normal. One simply is certain to take a sword to go mining, along with a pickaxe.

Strangest of all, however, is how every oddity of this land seems to come back to their god, Yoba, and the stories around Him. There is an explanation not only for the oddity, but why the people of Pelican Town take it for granted, and indeed find the outside world a strange and dangerous place.

Perhaps, then, the truth comes back to what they say themselves: For those Yoba calls, all roads lead to Pelican Town. For those He does not, all roads go around.

For myself, I shall stay and continue to study this fascinating place. When my thesis is done, I shall return to the real world, of course. But in the meantime, what harm can there be in learning everything I can of this land and their strange, otherwise unheard-of god, known only as Yoba?


	2. In YOBA, All Things Are

_"When Void knew Nothing, YOBA knew Void, and Touched it._  
_Void felt Contact, and Knew;_ _All was inevitably Transformed."_  
\- The Book of YOBA, Chapter 1, verse 3

  
"Thank you, Haley, for that reading.

"Most of you are wondering why we chose that particular passage this week, when the sun shines warmly on our town, when the perfume of cherry and apricot blossoms wafts along the same breeze as the petals that cover our mountain paths, and when the sea is calm and tranquil.  Yet, it is at this time, when we are most content, when we wait once again for the Farmer to appear, that Void, and all of its implications  _must_ be considered.

"We know that Void exists within and without us; we find its tokens and contemplate its depths even as we go about our daily tasks. Some believe that we are closest to Void while gathering materials from our mines, and Clint has testified to feeling lost and engulfed and having to reach down deep within to call on YOBA at those times.  Yet, have we each not touched Void in our own way?  Pierre, you've spoken on how, in the seasons where nothing can be planted, you've known despair and worry for your family.  Willy, we know the battles you've faced in times when nothing can be caught and you wonder if the energy you put in to get your boat to the fishing ground was worth the travel back empty-handed.  And Marnie, in all the personal tragedies you've overcome, it is apparent to all of us that Void is ever present in your life.

"But Void is ever present in  _all_ of our lives, even if we cannot recognize it.  We, like YOBA, know Void - we exist alongside it, we are shaped by it and yes, each of us, at different times, bow to it as an inevitable Force.  We do not  _kneel_ to it, knowing as we do that only YOBA is worth such honor, but we  _bend_ before it, we twist and turn like those very blossoms on the breeze when Void desires us to go a different way.  And we battle when we do not see that the way of Void is also the way of YOBA.

"Look to the scripture, Brothers and Sisters!  It is there, in the very verse we read today - when Void knew Nothing, YOBA knew Void and Touched it.  And when Void felt Contact, All was inevitably Transformed.  Void itself was Transformed, and though we often do not recognize its nature, Void is a tool of YOBA.  

"We felt this in last week's Gathering, did we not?  When we came together, and put forth the Call under Brother Lewis' guidance (and an excellent job was done, Brother Lewis, excellent job!), we felt Void around us and it, as a Tool of YOBA, was part of our Call.  Through YOBA, All Things Are - us, the sea, the river, the tree, the rock, the Rabbit, and the Void - and through YOBA, our Call will manifest in a Seeker.  For without the Seeker, there can be no Farmer.

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer.


	3. Notes on Sermon about Yoba and Void

I'm really not sure how to think about this sermon. On one hand, it's entirely standard religious symbolism. The void, the darkness, struggling against adversity. I've heard similar in almost every religion I've studied, and I think I went to a different religious gathering every week towards the end of my undergraduate studies. This was more personal than most such sermons, but then, this group is one of the smallest I've ever seen. Which isn't surprising given the size of the town. They all have to know each other's lives, their business, their successes and failures.

I've had more questions about my personal life these past few days than anywhere else. And it's not viewed as invasive, either. It's normal, wanting to know more about a new member of their community. And to them, that's exactly what I am. I'm not an outsider looking in, I'm just new. I've made it clear I'm only here for a while, but I don't think anyone's listening.

But that's not the weirdest part. No, what really bothers me is the way they talk about a farmer. Because no one actually farms.

I've looked at what I can find about this Yoba, and the farming imagery is everywhere. Yoba as farmer created the world. Farmers are needed to bring about needed change. Farmer farmer farmer everywhere. But no one farms!

Instead, this farmer is treated as some kind of allegorical creature. Might as well say the mermaid, or the angel. The farmer. Farmers. I've never before seen a metaphor this strong that wasn't carried out in reality. With this much talk of farming, I'd expect the entire valley to be covered in farmland. Instead, there's one farm, and that lies empty. Apparently it belongs to someone that doesn't live here now. Asking about it only gets a, "oh, he left." Nothing more.

I need to get some of my books shipped here. I swear I've never come across an allegory to life that's so completely ignored at the same time. It must mean something!

It must mean something. But what?


	4. The Gift of YOBA

_"The Seed came forth, and All That Is streamed out to pool upon the soil;_  
_It seeped, Deeper and Deeper, until it Nourished the very Foundations of Creation._  
_So YOBA Gifted All with Existence."_  
\- The Book of YOBA, Chapter 1, verse 64

"YOBA and the Seed.  It's a story we are told as small children, over and over:

 _"Into this soil, Yoba planted the seed._  
_The seed sprouted, and behold!  A vine sprung skyward, twisting and probing,_  
_casting a writhing shadow onto the golden void."_

"We hear it in our homes, and in the Library where it is read from _Highlights From the Book of Yoba_.  We hear it, and as small children we play in the dirt and dig holes in which to put seeds of our own.  This is a tradition in our Valley; we know from the records that children have been adding seeds to the soil in our Valley for generations.  I did it, as did my parents, and my grandparents before them, and their grandparents before them.  We hear the story, and we Give seeds to the soil in the hope that a fruit will grow and that the world will be inside that fruit.

"Or, at least, this is what I remember from my own childhood.  I dreamed of a world I could reveal in a fruit, just by peeling away the skin.  I longed to Give that world to YOBA, just as YOBA Gave to me.  How could I doubt?  I saw the Bounty of YOBA with my own eyes every time I opened them, and in my dreams when I slept.  In my dreams, I was a Farmer, and worlds were among my fruit, and I Gave them to YOBA...and when I woke and did not see YOBA, I thought my heart would break.

"Even as children, we long for YOBA...though we may not know it in those terms.  But we know, as we plant seeds in the soil, that we are Giving.  We can see the fruits of our Gifts as the seasons turn - from holes filled with tiny seeds grow dandelions, and sweet peas, and other wildflowers that Give beauty to the Valley with their brilliant colours and heady fragrances.  From bulbs our parents Give us to bury in the soil come daffodils, leeks, spring onions, and horseradish.  We Give our seeds to the soil, and the soil brings forth a Bounty in emulation of YOBA.

"And then we leave childhood for adolescence, and think we leave behind what was a childish pastime - no more holes in the soil, no more planting. But we still Give, although again we may not know it in those terms.  We learn each other and our Place through Giving; we learn what brings Joy and what brings Sorrow, and we inevitably seek out the Joy which strengthens our ties to the Valley.  And we notice when others Give to us, and we learn ourselves through those Gifts.

"In adulthood, when we Become what YOBA wants, we know the Truth of the Seed and YOBA's Bounty.  We then Give of ourselves, as YOBA does.  We Give of our abilities, each to their own strengths.  We Seek, We Call, We Speak, We Farm. We Give of our hearts, and our souls.  We Give our own Seed to the Valley, and our Community grows because our Seed is YOBA's Seed; our Gifts are YOBA's Gifts; our Community is YOBA's Community.  And our Joy in this is YOBA's Joy, and YOBA's Joy seeps deeply into us.

"In Giving, All That Is flourishes, nourished by the Seed. This we know to be true, and this we long for as the Cycle continues.

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,   
The rain falls gently down,   
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.   
We are renewed, we are reborn.   
As the Cycle turns again,   
We come to offer praise,   
In hope the Seeker comes,   
To bring a Farmer."


	5. Thoughts on Gifting

This sermon confused me. I suspect it made perfect sense to everyone else there, of course; there was a lot of nodding. Especially about planting seeds, and giving that up at a certain age. Again, odd. Why give it up? If nothing else, it's a fairly reliable miracle. Plant seeds, stuff grows. And people do garden, but I got the impression that's different somehow. As though there's a difference between gardening and farming.

But there are flowers blooming everywhere, and people give them to each other without any romantic overtones. Simply as gifts. And when people aren't giving gifts, they may even still be talking about gifting. "Oh, I'd love some fresh blueberries right now," isn't just a comment. It's a hint, if you happen to have any available. Or if you happen to find any later. There's constantly messages about such things. I'm not sure if there are more of those aimed at me because I'm new, and therefore wouldn't know, or if they think I'm just slow.

I'm trying to become part of the community, but I've always been confused by rules about gifts. With that as such an integral part of the social life here, I may have more problems than I originally anticipated fitting in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those reading along - yes, the person delivering the sermons and the anthropologist are both part of the game. Feel free to guess who!


	6. Friendlocked - It's a Gift Economy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as the anthropologist's notes are normally public, a chapter marked "friendlocked" will be something only his friends back home can see. And comment on.

It's a gift economy. Can you believe it? A gift economy. Me.

I'm the one that's in the mall the night before Winter Star with a bullet point list taken from everyone's wishlists, exact details nailed down as much as I can, and I'm still running around like crazy and ending up in front of a gift card display nearly in tears. Gifts! I hate them! I'm so bad!

And then there's this "give from abundance" thing. Give from your skills. What are my skills? I can write. Should I write a paper for them? Lecture at them? I lecture too much as it is, and I'm pretty sure no one's ever seen it as a gift. More a curse. I have no useful skills outside academia! I can't even offer to teach the local children, because one of the locals is already doing that. And I'm pretty sure trying to take her job wouldn't be considered a gift either. I can tell stories, but I don't think offering storytime is the way to go either.

Which leaves what. Farming? Like I'd know what to do with a shovel. I'd probably slice off my foot. Fishing I've tried, and it's never gone well. No way I'm picking up a sword to go into the mines. Yes. A sword to go mining. I told you guys this place is crazy!

Fucking gift economy. People are already giving me things. And if I don't react the way they expect, it's like it's a challenge to find something I do like. I swear somewhere there's a scoreboard of what has and hasn't gotten good reactions. I wonder what the winner gets. Probably more gifts.

I asked the storekeeper about decorations at one point, and came home to find my entire place being painted. Just, oh, you don't like it? Let us fix it for you! I can't even keep up.

If I disappear, assume I gave someone a crappy gift and they decided to sacrifice me to their god. At this point, I'm half-expecting it.

Fucking gift economy. How did I end up with a fucking gift economy for my thesis? It was supposed to be a weird cult, not a gift economy! I'd rather have a sacrifice on my front porch! Sure, I'll dance in the animal's entrails, no problem! Just don't make me find presents for people!

_________________________________________________________

**7 Responses to It's a Gift Economy**

\-------------------------------------------------

s0c00l23 says:

_Okay, I LOLed when I read this. You've never given anyone anything they wanted.  I mean, until I met you I thought the whole, "Oh, look.  Socks." thing was one of those hyperbolic stories people tell.  And then, you gave me socks._

_How the hell are you going to do this?_

\-------------------------------------------------

VellaDoll says:

_You're doomed. Totally doomed. About the only thing you offer well is time, and I don't mean in manual labor._

_I take that back. Do manual labor. Get someone to get it on camera. I'll pay to watch that._

_Yes. Go clean someone's gutters or something. It's perfect! Trust me!_

\------------------------------------------

FamousBob says:

_Wait...who painted your house?  Did you ask them to paint it?  Outside or inside?  If inside, do you keep your doors unlocked?_

_Maybe **you** should paint something.  Find some whitewash and make like Tom Sawyer!_

\------------------------------------------

LectureBot says:

_I keep the door locked. Which is, apparently, odd to begin with, but I have some standards left. It was the outside. Had I taken long enough, I suspect she'd have picked the lock though. As far as who - let's call her the Mad Decorator. She believes things should look Good. Regardless of everything else. She also makes her own clothing, and tries to dress her sister. I fear if I stood still long enough I'd end up covered in cloth and pins. As far as whitewashing, that's apparently what sparked this in the first place. I asked about decorating supplies because I intended to decorate for someone else!_

_I wonder if making myself a public laughingstock trying to do manual labor would count as a gift to the community. At this rate, I'm going to make an ass of myself anyway. Might as well do it with style._

\------------------------------------------

s0c00l23 says:

_if you end up digging ditches or something, please post photos!_

_On a more serious note, do you want us to send you anything?  Maybe some things from the "Big City" would be good gifts?_

_\------------------------------------------_

LectureBot says:

_It's probably not a bad idea, as long as you're not expecting me to come up with anything! Right now I'm wondering if books for the library would count as kind of gifts for the entire town. The library's a little bare._

_\--------------------------------------_

VellaDoll says:

_You've actually got half an idea there. Do a book club! Bring books, share them, talk about them! You want to do what you're good at - well, that's something you're good at!_

_Just .. show some sense in which books you pick this time? Don't start with some weird philosophical treatise. And for the love of all that's holy over there, don't start doing a compare and contrast with cults. Stick with fiction to start. Cult-free fiction. I am not coming to your funeral if you get yourself cannibalized over there._


	7. Of an Egg

_"The World inside the Egg was Wrong;_  
_Nothing grew, nothing thrived.  There was no Farmer._  
_YOBA cracked the Egg; its contents flowed like water_  
_Poured upon a Flower Garden."_  
The Book of YOBA, Chapter 1, verse 267

"We are tied to the Cycle.

"Let me say that again, so everyone can hear:  _We_ are tied to the Cycle.  It permeates our being, and ties us to it as strongly as if we were tethered with chains of iridium.  It binds us to this life, this path, this Valley.  Everything we do - every action, every breath, every step, every thought - aligns with the Cycle.  It  _affects_ us in ways we can see, and in ways we can't without a microscope and an infinity in front of us.

"How could it not?  The Cycle is YOBA's Gift; through it, All That Is is nourished.

"But perhaps I should start over?  For some of you, this may be difficult to follow.

"Yesterday, while on my Errands, I passed through Marnie's Ranch and, as always, it was beautiful.  The grass moved in waves with the breeze, the cattle grazed contentedly, and there were white and brown tufts of feathers sticking out against the flowing green from time to time.  I stopped to watch, and thought about the season, the Cycle, and my breakfast.  You see, on Errand days, my morning meal contains an egg.

"Most of what I do as Speaker is not visible, but here is a small thing: an egg must be contemplated.  Each curve of shell is studied, each dimple examined, and the whole meditated upon before it is cracked into a bowl of rice.  It must be stirred specifically, rhythmically, until every grain is coated.  And then, the contents of the bowl are consumed grain by grain to ensure perfect understanding. 

"Needless to say, breakfast can take a very long time.

<laughter from the congregation>

"Unbroken, an egg has no beginning and no end; it flows around itself like water, all smooth. Hold it in your hands and you hold Eternity; cradle it protectively, or let it fall and break open to pour its contents out.  Whether they fall upon the ground, or land upon my rice, or race away on tiny legs to hunt within the grass, the contents of an egg are never wasted; even Wrongness within may pour out to fuel the Cycle and spread Flowers in its wake.

" _This_ is why we gather.   _This_ is why we feast.   _This_ is why we dance - we celebrate the Cycle piece by piece so we can see a greater Purpose.  Egg or Flower, Cow or Chicken, Clay or Coal - all are pieces, all are Whole.  This is YOBA's Cycle; this is YOBA's Truth.

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer."


	8. Why is it always eggs?

This, at least, is familiar theological territory. Eggs and cycles, birth and renewal and food, all of these are standard religious ideas, and they appear in much the same way here. After so many things that seem odd, it's nice to find a piece that makes sense.

Food and cycles, on the other hand, are universal human things. And because they are universal for humans, they are universal in religions. How they're dealt with changes, of course, but we don't get far without food. And the human mind is built for pattern recognition, and that means cycles.

The two combined isn't quite as common, though, and that's where I think it gets interesting. Because food is a cycle. We eat multiple times a day, we grow our food, our life revolves around food until and unless we're certain we have enough that we can afford to think of other things. And given that we die without food, it's clearly important. If life is a cycle, then food is one of the most important cycles inside it, because it's the one that lets life continue.

It's strange, but the sheer normality of today's sermon really drives home far more the oddness of so much of this place. Suddenly this isn't a strange different world on an alien planet, but again just part of the same world, same people, same everything. Only not.

Maybe next week will involve juggling skulls or something and it can all go back to normal levels of strange. (please, if you're reading this - don't. I'm joking).

And now I want eggs for breakfast.


	9. Consider the Rabbit

"Come right up front, little ones!  That's right: gather close so you can hear the stories!  Today is the fourth Sunday of Spring, and YOBA has words for  _you_.

"On Marnie's ranch, there is a barn with cows, and sheep, and goats, and pigs, and there is a stable with horses,  _and_ there is a coop.  Who can tell me what lives in a coop?

<pause>

"That's right!  There are chickens in Marnie's coop!  What else?

<pause>

"Yes, there are ducks in Marnie's coop, and they do quack a lot.  Very good.  Does anyone know what else lives in the coop?

<pause>

"Rabbits, yes!  You are all so observant!  Marnie has rabbits in her coop with the chickens and the ducks.  

"Now, we all know how important Marnie's ranch is - we have no Farmer, so Marnie has to raise the animals that provide for us.  We get our milk from the cows and goats, and we get eggs from the chickens and ducks.  The sheep give us wool to make cloth, and the pigs find delicious food underground and dig it up.  And the rabbits, they also give us wool - their soft, soft fur can be spun into yarn and made into cloth.  But the rabbits give us something else that is even more important - by watching them and understanding where they came from, they give us a reminder of how YOBA cares for All That Is.

"Once, long ago, before there were people in the Valley, there were rabbits. They were wild creatures, and because they were wild creatures they had no coops to live in, and no sweet smelling hay to eat.  Instead, YOBA gave them fields and meadows to play in, and ponds and streams to drink from, and flowers and grasses to eat.  And YOBA gave them quiet feet for gentle movement, and springing feet for leaping and bounding through the tall, tall grass, and strong feet with strong claws for digging burrows and scrapes, and swift feet for running as fast as the wind if danger came.  And the rabbits played, and ate, and slept, and were happy in our Valley.

"And then, YOBA sent our ancestors to the Valley, and we saw the fields and meadows, and the ponds and streams, and the flowers and grasses.  When our ancestors said, "Let us settle here; it is a good place," the Farmer agreed, and found a place where the soil was fertile, and the water was sweet.  In this place, the Farmer took the Seeds gifted by YOBA, and sowed them in patterns - seeds to nourish the People, seeds to nourish the wild creatures, and seeds to nourish the Valley.  And YOBA was pleased with the Farmer and how the Farmer honored the Cycle.

"Rabbits began to gather where the Farmer grew sweet grass, and no longer did they play in the fields and meadows, and drink from the ponds and streams, and eat the flowers and grasses as wild creatures do.  They ate the sweet grass planted by the Farmer, and drank from the Farmer's pond, and slept in the fields on the Farm.  The Farmer saw that the rabbits no longer used their springing feet, or their strong feet, or their swift feet, and decided to make a place for the rabbits where they could be safe.  The Farmer built a _coop_ , and the rabbits were welcomed inside along with the chickens and ducks who saw the coop as a good place to lay their eggs.  And as the rabbits ate sweet hay, and slept indoors, and moved about on quiet feet, their other feet began to grow smaller and smaller until they didn't even touch the ground!  For YOBA, knowing that the Farmer would care for the rabbits,  _changed_ them.  And the rabbits, knowing that the Farmer was a  _gift_ from YOBA, gave their springing feet, and strong feet, and swift feet, in honor and joy.

"And if you visit Marnie, and you pet a rabbit, you can see YOBA's changes - run your hand gently along a rabbit's underbelly, and you will feel them - the springing feet, and the strong feet, and the swift feet still there, but grown small and hidden beneath that soft, soft fur.  And, if you are very very lucky, one day you may find one of these feet lying in the straw.  Pick it up, and put it in a place where you can see it every day, as a reminder of how YOBA cares for All That Is, including Us.

"And now, let us close Fourth Sunday with song!  Sing out, children!  Sing out!

"Speaker tells me  
I am YOBA's child!  
And I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!

The Farm is empty,  
But I know a Farmer comes.  
And I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!

In this Valley  
The Cycle is unending.  
So I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!"


	10. Epistle: Marnie 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posts marked as Epistles (usually followed by a name) are private letters. Information within is known only to the sender(s) and receiver(s).

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To Marnie who is ever faithful in her work:

Grace to you, and peace through YOBA, my Sister!  All is made possible through YOBA's Will, and you are as a Shining Beacon on a Hill for those dare not set foot upon the path.

I know that your burdens of late have seemed impossible to carry, and that you've cried out for YOBA to remove them from your shoulders.  But, fear not!  You tread in the footsteps of those who came before, those who prepared the way for the Farmer.  Your faith in YOBA remains unshaken, and your devotion unceasing despite the actions of those around you.  They did not understand that the Will of YOBA cannot be bent, or moved, or broken - it is harder than diamond and more precious than the Prismatic Shard first used to reveal that Will to us.

Even now I say to you that it is written "...a Farmer will come and be known through test and trial.  They will remove the yokes from those that carry them, and bring the Gifts of YOBA to all."  I feel certain, Sister Marnie, that your preparations will bear fruit!  Your ranch prospers, the Call was strong at Years-End, and my last trip to the Tower showed favorable signs.  A Seeker is near, and that Seeker heralds the coming of the Farmer!

This must fill you with Hope and Joy, dear Sister - the end of your hardships draws close if you can continue to walk the path and eschew all distractions.  The Gifts of YOBA await those who complete their Journey and, in doing so, nourish the Cycle, and I believe in you, Marnie.  I believe that your strength will see you through this as it has in so many other things.

Be assured that your sacrifices are not in vain.  Be also assured that the turn of the Season will herald in a new focus for the People.

I remain, as always, your Sister in YOBA.


	11. Of Springtime Rabbits

I must admit, it was the stories about the bunnies of this valley that first drew me here. I thought, of course it's fiction. Of course there aren't actually rabbits with extra feet that occasionally shed them. That's some kind of weird insanity, and there's some kind of logic that the stories aren't sharing. Because, of course, stories are far better when they're just bizarre. Even through the sermon I assumed it was allegory.

Then I petted one.

They actually have multiple sets of vestigial feet underneath them. One came off in my hand. Apparently this means I'm blessed by Yoba. I'm not sure how to understand that.

I'm supposed to be studying the religion, not getting involved with it. But too much distance brings confusion, not understanding. And physical truth is physical truth. Those rabbits have extra feet, and one came off, causing no apparent distress to the rabbit. However it came to be, the reality is there.

I don't know how to deal with that.

It was supposed to be allegory.


	12. Friendlocked - This is for CHILDREN?

I am having a freakout right now. I pet a rabbit, and a foot came off in my HAND.

Let me repeat that for anyone who is convinced they're reading it wrong. A living rabbit. Lost a foot. In my hand.

Rabbit appeared unharmed by this. Didn't care. Like having a FOOT fall off is a normal day.

I'm left trying to not scream in front of excited children who think this is the best thing ever. I've been favored! It's a sign! A detached foot! I'm supposed to be all happy when I've got a FOOT in my hand.

It's not even bloody. I mean, that's good, it's not bleeding, but how does a foot fall off with no blood? What is keeping these feet on until they fall off? Why are the rabbits some kind of mutant spider-rabbit with eight legs in the first place? Or is it a centipede rabbit? And now I'm seeing them crawling up the walls in my mind I'm going to have so many nightmares you'll hear me screaming from there ........

I want to go home. I wish I hadn't fought for this as my thesis. I wish I wasn't finding anything so I could go home. I don't care if it's cowardice. Rabbits are not supposed to have extra feet to fling around as some deific favor!

I want the world to make sense again. What god offers that?

_________________________________________________________

**7 Responses to This is for CHILDREN?  
**

\-------------------------------------------------

FamousBob says:

_Are you sure they didn't slip something into your coffee, dude?  Sounds like a hallucination - feet falling into your hand, and next thing you know you're running naked through town screaming about the End Times._

_...actually, that sounds like something you might experience investigating a cult.  Are you sure you thoroughly researched this?_

_\-------------------------------------------------_

 LectureBot says:

_I can send you the foot.  They insisted I keep it._

_Of course, you'll just say it's a regular rabbit foot off a dead rabbit.  You've always got the answers._

_Open invitation.  Come visit.  The Harvest Fair is always popular and full of tourists.  You can show up and I'll introduce you around.  Maybe you'll get to pet one of the spider-rabbits and get yourself a disembodied foot of your very own._

_You've no idea how much I wish I'd hallucinated it.  If I had, the world would still make sense.  That's the problem.  The foot came off and the world for me **changed**.  Can't undo that.  Can't explain it.  Just need to learn how to understand it._

_There has to be an answer that makes it all make sense again.  I just need to find it._

_\-------------------------------------------------_

BunGal says _:_

_You know that rabbits have five claws on their front feet, but only four on their back feet, right?  18 claws, but only 16 toes!  Isn't that amazing?_

_Although...you said 'foot'.  Are you sure you meant foot and not claw?  Some rabbits have enormous claws._

_Anyway, I'm digging through my lagomorph books now, and there are no documented references to rabbits with vestigial feet.  You might be the first person to document this subspecies.  Did you remember your camera?  Could you send me some photos?_

_\-------------------------------------------------_

FamousBob says:

_I don't always have the answers, dude - I'm just applying Occam's Razor.  It's what you would do in my place, wouldn't you?_

_You're obviously shaken by this whole thing, whatever it is.  Why don't you take a break and come back home for a bit to recharge?_

_\-------------------------------------------------_

LectureBot says:

_Bun, I think I know the difference between a claw and a foot.  But thanks for assuming I'm an idiot that doesn't know what he's doing, that really helps.  No, wait, it doesn't.  You want to get all scientific with the creepy bunnies, you come down here and do it yourself._

_And Bob - I appreciate you trying to help.  I know I sound pretty messed up, and I am, but I do appreciate it.  But I fought for this.  I put my reputation on the line.  If I leave before a full cycle of a year is up, I'll have tainted my own evidence._

_There's something here.  I can't just throw it aside because it's got me rattled.  Would you run away from one of your experiments if it proved the laws of physics weren't quite right?  Or would you dig and find answers?_

_I mean, really, it's either try to figure this out or just become a beach bum and write novels like my mother's been predicting since I said I wanted to go to grad school for anthropology instead of medicine.  Not quite there yet, even if I am living on the beach.  Ask me again in a few months._

_\---------------------------------------------_

BunGal says:

_Remind me not to ask you questions while you're working on your thesis.  Sheesh!  You are way more grumpy than usual._

_\---------------------------------------------_

FamousBob says:

_@Bun - give him a break, okay?  Things aren't going the way he expected._

_@Bot - I'll lay off, bro.  And hey, maybe I will come out for the Harvest Festival.  It's supposed to be pretty spectacular._


	13. Cycle of Seasons

_"YOBA brought Change where there was Sameness;  
__Diversity where there was Similarity;_  
_Innovation where there was Stagnation._  
_YOBA brought the Cycle, and it was True."_  
\- The Book of YOBA, Chapter 2, verses 1-2

"Brothers and Sisters, the Season has turned, praise YOBA!

<congregation echoes, "Praise YOBA!">

"It is Summer, and I see everyone remembered that our service begins two hours earlier this season.  Even our newcomer managed to get here at the correct time; you must be building connections in the Community to know when to arrive!  Or, perhaps, it is the Will of YOBA?

<laughter from the congregation>

"Let us speak of Truth on this lovely Summer day, Truth as it stems from YOBA.  The change we've seen this week from Spring to Summer is a perfect example of Truth; it is YOBA's Will made manifest through the Cycle, and the Cycle itself is True.  But there are other Truths that are not as evident, especially when we allow ourselves to doubt.  And you... _you_ are steeped in doubt, and it influences your every thought.  

"Oh, I can see it in your eyes - you are surprised that I would choose to Speak on this topic rather than on the ramifications of the Cycle itself, and how we know it is not only YOBA's Will, but YOBA's Gift.  You'd prefer to grow comfortable in the Cycle, in the ebb and flow from season to season, in the  _sameness_ of life in this Valley.  You'd prefer to be a sheep that must be herded from one place to another and is content to graze and think about nothing at all.  And so, there must be Truth between us on this day, in this space.  You have a role as the Cycle turns.  

"Those called by YOBA  _must_ answer in some fashion.  And once you do, once you do...you can no longer claim ignorance, or neutrality, or to be a simple observer.  When you are called by YOBA, and you _will_ be, how will you answer?  You long for your own Truth, but you fear it.  You chase it down, but shrink back when it is within your grasp because you  _know_  you won't be able to let it go.  Once known, Truth cannot be unknown and that terrifies you.

"Truth, then.  I was young when YOBA called me, perhaps too young to be filled with doubt or fear.  It seeped into my being like a siren's song until I was filled from top to toes and I knew nothing else.  And so, I answered, and I did so by gifting myself to YOBA.  I knew Truth then, my Truth.  Despite the thoughts and words of those around me, despite the path they wanted me to walk, I knew what I must do.  I knew what YOBA wanted of me, and I answered.

"This is my role, and this is my Truth.  I am Speaker, unlike any before me.  Your role and your Truth will be unlike any other, just as you are unlike any other.  But know this: I am Speaker, not shepherd, and I will not guide you gently.  I am a useful tool, and I am about YOBA's work.   

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer."


	14. Is it really paranoia if?

One of the problems with a small group is just how easy it is to customize sermons, to castigate someone from the safety of the lectern in front of everyone. To use the will of one's god as an excuse to exercise personal power. To use the faith and trust of one's congregation to pursue acts that, when done by anyone else, would be considered immoral, perhaps even illegal.

Of course, I speak in generalities here. I have no proof that anything immoral or illegal has been done in the name of Yoba. No proof that privacy is just a farce in this strange small town.

No proof, except that the Speaker never once broke eye contact with me when speaking about doubt. Hinting at things I'd spoken of in private. Using the power of the pulpit to try and force me into line.

Here's the thing, though. I'm not here as congregant, not here as worshiper. I'm here as scientist, and as such, doubt is one of the tools I am required to use. Doubt is not the enemy. It is required. Demanding I put aside doubt as though it is somehow the will of your god that I submit is not religion. It is control.

This is the most traditional-cult behavior I've seen here thus far. I may owe one of my colleagues - I'd bet it would take at least another month before they started trying to control me.

So tell me, Speaker - which one is true? What's your Truth? Your Doubt?

Are you truly nothing more than a run of the mill cult controlling a small town, no different than any other? Are you really that boring? Or can you rise above petty control?

\-------------------------------------------------

**7 Responses to Is it really paranoia if?**

\-------------------------------------------------

ASpeakerZ says:

_And here's the show of spirit I was hoping for, although, I'm somewhat disappointed that you've decided to act out of defensiveness and fear instead of coming to speak with me directly.  I'm beginning to suspect I am not as approachable to Outsiders as I am to those who grew up in our Valley!_

_All joking aside: t_ _hough YOBA speaks through me, I am a human being and my words are not always straightforward and clear.  I'll endeavor, here, to explain some basic concepts in the hope of giving you (and perhaps your readers?) some things to think about._

_It is my role, as Speaker, to interpret YOBA's Will and communicate that to those who choose to listen.  In this, I am no different than any other priest or teacher in a religious group - our practices may be different, our object of veneration may be different, but the desire to worship is a human condition, and for every group of worshipers there is at least one who takes on a leadership role by choice, force, or accident.  In this tradition, which most but not all of the Valley inhabitants practice, Speaker is that role._

_Note that I mentioned here that most, but not all of the Valley, practice this tradition.  No one is forced to follow our tradition or, indeed, "forced into line" - YOBA has no need for human sheep, and I have no intention of trying to procure them._

_One of my jobs as Speaker is to ensure that those called by YOBA know they must answer.  Now, before you read into that statement, let me state clearly: being required to answer does not equate to being required to answer in a specific way.  This is one of those concepts in our tradition that is so basic that I forget that the words I use can be interpreted another way.  When YOBA calls, an answer must be given but that answer is as individual as the person and the answer can be No.  No one is required to devote themselves to YOBA, called or not. _

_As for doubt, it is indeed an invaluable tool, especially in scientific pursuits.  Doubt can lead us to learn more and to apply what we've learned to a given concept or situation and, ultimately, lead us where we need to go.  But, doubt can also paralyze and prevent someone from taking the steps they need to take.  That's not a unique concept to our tradition - I've heard of other religious practices that include stories that specifically point to doubt and its impact on human beings - and doubtless (pun intended of course!) you'd have remembered that had you taken time to think about my sermon before responding._

_Let me assure you - no one here wants to brainwash you, or control you, or any of those other traditional-cult things._

_As Speaker, I am happy to discuss my Truth with you, if you are willing to discuss your doubt with me.  
_

_\--------------------------------_

LectureBot says:

I thought I made this clear, when I approached you and asked for your permission and understanding to study you and your group.  I am not part of your congregation.  I am not here to be preached to.  I am here to watch and study.

I could have lied.  People do.  I could have pretended to be a serious seeker.  But I respected you and your community.  I asked.  I was upfront.  I offered to keep my notes in a public blog that you could comment if I misunderstood, that we could maintain dialogue.  That nothing relevant to my research would be made private, only personal feelings.  Every step of the way, I have gone beyond standard ethical guidelines in an attempt to be respectful of you and your religion.

In return, I got chastised from the pulpit.  You aimed your sermon at me, even though as I have said from the beginning I am not part of your group.  My religious beliefs are my own business and not yours, because I do not follow Yoba to begin with!  (YOBA?  why are you writing it that way?)  To suddenly claim I am called and need to answer, to say that I have an obligation IN ANY WAY to your god, insults those beliefs.  Wipes them aside as irrelevant.

Was this post less than respectful?  Yes.  Maybe I lost my temper.  Maybe, were I less invested in truth and more invested in my own image, I'd edit the post, make myself look better.  But I agreed to not do that when I started this project.

Just as you agreed to respect that I was an observer, not a member.

_\--------------------------------_

 ASpeakerZ says:

 _Yes, you were very clear when you approached me initially that you wished to study our religious tradition, and that your intent was to make us the subject of your thesis.  You were an observer, not a member.  You were not part of our congregation or our Community._    _And you have been very respectful of us during your time here._

 _But why are you referring to the past?  You even made a point of mentioning in your post above that you_ were _ _an observer._ What does our agreement _then _have to do with the situation_ now _?_ _The past and the present are two different things.  And why would you say that you could have "pretended" to be a serious Seeker?_ _What would be the point?  The Seeker is easily identified when the signs are read and is not something that someone can_ pretend _to be.  The Seeker is, or is not._

_In your time here you have made connections in the Community - I mentioned that during my sermon.  You've Gifted and been Gifted in exchange.  You attend every service and participate in every festival. The children of the Valley are very excited that you are here, and cannot stop talking about the rabbit.  My Gift can't be that much of a surprise - the entire congregation was expecting it, and someone must have mentioned it to you, just in case.  Everyone talks about Gifting here._

_(I really don't understand your question about YOBA.  How else would I write?)_

_I am much better equipped to discuss the concept of obligation, but you are not a child to be guided in proper manners and I have never seen you fail to respond when a member of the Community speaks to you, so I am having difficulty figuring out a starting point.  Perhaps you could explain what you've learned from your past practices? That would help me to be more useful._

_\--------------------------------_

 LectureBot says:

I'm even more confused now than when I started this conversation.

Remember how we were having lunch, and you offered me some of your pomegranate?  And I told you about that one culture where that would have been considered a marriage proposal.  We both laughed, and you assured me that nothing like that ever happened here.

I feel like it just did.

I don't understand why you feel the situation changed.  I understand you do feel that way, but I don't understand why or how.  It truly feels like everyone's going on about my wedding, and I don't even know who I'm supposedly marrying, much less how I got engaged to whoever it was in the first place.  I'm that lost.

I don't even think we're using the word seeker the same way.

Is there a book I can read or something that can help this make sense?  Something?  A road map, a sign post, anything?  Or am I just going to get metaphorically married off?

(And I'm confused about the difference between saying /Yoba/ and /YOBA/.  Why is the entire word capitalized?  Again, what am I missing, other than everything?)

\---------------------

BunGal says:

@ASpeakerZ _\- I'm interested in visiting your Valley as part of my own thesis on lagomorph evolution and adaptation.  Who should I contact about lodging and transportation?_

\---------------------

ASpeakerZ says:

 _Oh my goodness.  You...really_ don't _know what is going on._

_Would you mind meeting me in-person?  Say, at the Stardrop, at 1:00 this afternoon?  I think we can clear things up._

_\-----------_

LectureBot says:

I appreciate that.  I'll be there.  Please don't order fruit salad, I don't think I can take it today.


	15. Green Grow the Fiddleheads

_"Green; all was green and lush._  
_No brambles, no briers; nothing stood between the_  
_Farmer and the Field._  
_The Farmer smiled.  All was well."_  
\- The Book of YOBA, Chapter 3, verses 7-8

"Thank you, Caroline, for that inspired reading.  I could feel the happiness of the Farmer, standing in the field, the air awash with moisture and YOBA's promise.  Your voice does credit to us all.

"My brothers, my sisters, my friends - this is a day of praise and thanksgiving.  Summer is in its full glory; our waters stream with fish, our berry bushes are laden with fruit, and Haley brought her famous berry tarts for us to share in fellowship after the service.

<laughter from the congregation; Haley blushes and smiles.>

"The bounty of Summer in our Valley is unmatched in the Outside World.  Oh, there are other places where the fields are fertile, and the waters sweet; other places where the air is fragrant, and the wind's touch is the caress of a lover; other places where the people gather in praise, and song, and worship, and thank a god for all their many blessings.  But, those places are not  _our_ place - their fields are not our fields, their waters are not our waters, their air is not our air, their wind is not our wind, and their god is  **not** YOBA.  YOBA has blessed  _this_ place - our Valley - in ways that Outsiders cannot understand.

"You've heard this message before; that the Outsiders cannot understand what we have here has been preached over and over, by me, and by Speaker-Before-Me, and back through the ages to the time when YOBA discovered us.  This is not because, as some have whispered in the dark, YOBA's reach is limited.  Neither is it because Outsiders are too ignorant, too  _simple_ to comprehend as we do - and all of us who have spoken with an Outsider during one of our festivals know this.  Outsiders are like us, yet not like us - they are as intelligent and clever and kind and flawed as we.  They are no less, and no more, human that we are, and those who believe such things would do well to spend more time being welcoming during our next influx of visitors.

"No, the thing that separates the Outsiders from Us is simple - they do not know YOBA.  They do not learn of YOBA, and YOBA's Blessings, from the womb.  They do not grow up steeped in our practices, our traditions - and when they encounter them they do not  _know_ what they see.

"Most strange of all, to me, beyond everything, is the fact that Outside there are no Farmers.  The Cycle, and the Promise of what is to come if the Cycle is maintained does not exist to them.

"Oh, they have people who farm Outside, much as we have someone living on our Farm right now who grows things to sell to Pierre.  We've eaten corn and tomatoes, berries and melons, and bread made from wheat grown on that Farm by one who is not a Farmer.  But, he knows he is a placeholder, there to provide for us as we provide for him, and to enable the Cycle to move at its own pace until the Farmer comes again.  He knows this, and accepts it.  But Outside, they have not known a Farmer.  The people who farm, who grow the crops and till the soil and provide for the community are all called farmers, and they would not know the difference if it hit them in the eye.

"Now, I am  _not_ suggesting that we go out and spread the Truth of YOBA; we have far too much to do in our Valley to keep the Cycle moving, and those who feel the need to leave, to go Outside, will do so when they're ready.  But they go, not to preach or proselytize, but to do the Work they are entrusted to do.  But in this Season of heat and moisture, when the very air is ripe with the Promise, we should, perhaps, pause a moment to recognize that some will come not knowing why.  They will not feel a Call - just a compulsion, a need to be here in this place, and we are bound to welcome them and to help as we can.  For YOBA desires it, and our desire is YOBA's desire.

"They will come, and one will Seek, and that Seeking will bring the Farmer.  Praise YOBA!

<congregation echoes, "Praise YOBA!">

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer."


	16. Words mean things.  Sometimes many things from one word.

Well. I feel a little foolish.

One of the first things we're taught is that subgroups like religions use familiar words in unfamiliar ways, and that we should listen for that when studying them. And yet, I assumed a farmer was a farmer. Metaphor, yes, but also simply a person that grows food for sale. It truly hadn't occurred to me that something else was meant by the word. And so I fell into one of the classic problems of studying a group that's almost familiar, of thinking I understood without asking.

I didn't realize that when they spoke of needing a seeker to bring a farmer, they actually meant a physical person. Two people, really - a seeker, and a farmer. That it's a living cycle where new seekers and farmers show up every so often, and the rest of the time they wait.

So when the rabbit gave me a foot, an outsider that had come to the valley looking for information, I fell into the stories about their seeker. Prophecies, I suppose I mean. And given that they'd grown up with these prophecies, they knew instantly what they were seeing. My feelings and beliefs about the subject are effectively irrelevant, because what's going on is obvious. To them.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, it's not my place to tell them what their prophecies should be, and prophecies that involve an outsider are always a risk in this sort of thing. But - I'm not interested in being some kind of holy actor in someone else's religion. And from an ethical standpoint, pretending I believe when I don't is a huge problem.

It's very messy. I don't want to up and leave - I actually like it here, and now that I've sat down and had a chat with the Speaker, I think we understand each other somewhat again. And the religion is fascinating. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. But.

But. If people are expecting me to summon up their farmer, I don't know how to do that. I don't know if I would do it if I could. There's too much I don't know.

This was all a lot simpler when I had no idea what was going on.


	17. It Takes Propinquity

_YOBA was close to All That Is, and Listened:_  
_In that closeness, All That Is Knew YOBA,_  
_As YOBA Knew Them._  
\- The Book of YOBA,  Chapter 3, verse 17

 

"In the Outside world, there is a saying that familiarity breeds contempt.  It appears to be an attempt at explaining why people are so often intolerant of the habits of their loved ones - the way a child keeps their room, for example, or the strewing of articles of clothing across the home by a partner, or the way a husband speaks with his mouth full during meals.  We hold those we know and love to a high standard of behavior, and feel gravely injured when they don't measure up.  And, worst of all, we make it a personal thing; I've heard some of you discuss the way your children complete their chores as if they were trying to target you when they forgot to dust a shelf, or pull all of the weeds from the flower boxes.

"Now, I could tell you, loudly, every week that these things aren't personal.  I could go on and on about people not thinking, and that a child not wanting to pick up his room simply means that he...doesn't want to pick up his room.  It is not a mandate on your parenting skills, or on  _you_.  But that wouldn't do much good as you have to go home and live with these things and, quite frankly, that would be a very short sermon.

"'Good morning, everyone.  Your husband left his dirty laundry on the floor because it is easier than putting it in the hamper.  He didn't plan it as an attack on you.  Go in peace."

<laughter from the congregation>

"We all strive to remember YOBA's Gifts to us, to look to the Teachings, and the Cycle, and apply them across the board.  Some of the most relevant Teachings, though, are not often spoken - our reading today is a case in point.  I think I can count on one hand the number of times Speaker-Before-Me chose it as a topic, and I'm not sure why.  Surely, the concept of YOBA  _listening_ , that closeness might bring understanding between YOBA and All That Is is something we should consider?  We are all so close to one another here, in our Valley, and I know I have assumed from time to time that I know what I need to about all of you.  It's usually at those times that YOBA teaches me something new, and I come out of the lesson amazed and revitalized to do the Work I've been given.  

"This happened again yesterday, when I arrived at Linus' campsite.

"It's my custom to Speak to those who are part of our Community but are unable to join us on Sunday mornings, and so I often walk the path to visit Linus as he says he welcomes my company.  Linus has been part of our Community for a long time, even though some do not see him that way.  He is a faithful Child of YOBA, and in living outdoors he chooses a life immersed in YOBA's glory - the portents, and signs, and symbols that are placed for us are part-and-parcel of Linus' daily life, and I find him very insightful and intelligent.  Some of the best discussions I've had about Life and the Universe have been with Linus, and I look forward to seeing him every time I make a visit.

"When I walked the path yesterday and arrived to Speak with Linus, I was dismayed to discover someone was there before me and Othered Linus to the point where it felt acceptable to tear his home-place apart.  There he was, head down, standing next to a collapsed tent, surrounded by pieces of his belongings.  Some items were intact but scattered about, and others were smashed on the ground, or torn into pieces, or otherwise rendered completely unusable.  He looked completely overwhelmed, as if he didn't know what happened or where to begin to put things back together, and I was filled with a rage I've not felt in a long time.  And, my Brothers and Sisters, that rage remained with me as I helped to repair Linus' home, and then bought replacements of the items we couldn't repair.  It lingers within me even now as I recount the incident - it took nearly  _three hours_ to bring things back to a semblance of what they were, and I say semblance because it will never be the same.  Linus will never be able to go back to a time and place where members of  **this Community** decided he was not one of us and that he should be punished for their perceptions.

"Let me be clear on this: I, as Speaker, do  _not_ condone such action.  Nor does YOBA; as the reading shows us, YOBA wants us to move close and  _Listen_ , that we might understand each other more fully.  We are  _all_ YOBA's children, and we must treat  _All That Is_ in this fashion, regardless of what we try to fool ourselves into believing.  Linus is a Child of YOBA, just as Marnie, and Caroline, and Maru, and Kent, and Pierre, and Lewis are all Children of YOBA.  What you would do, or say, or believe about one Child you must do, and say, and believe about the others, or we are no longer worthy of YOBA's Gifts.

"Let us  _not_ let familiarity breed contempt.  Let us instead use our closeness and our kinship to strengthen each other and to strengthen the Community, for  _that_ aligns with the Teachings, and the Cycle.  Only when we raise each other up do we truly show our pride to be YOBA's Chosen.  Praise YOBA!

<congregation echoes, "Praise YOBA!>

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer."

 


	18. And sometimes, everywhere is the same

It's strange, how after a while it's the similarities between this place and the outside world are the things that strike me.

An awful thing, when it's people being horrible to each other that makes me see the commonalities. Why are we so horrible to each other? Whatever the religion, the community, the culture, there's still horribleness. Still the outsiders and the insiders. Makes me wonder what kind of reception I would have gotten if I hadn't made a local connection first.

Linus is a harmless old man that lives in a tent by the lake. I don't know why he chooses to live that way, and it's not my business. What I do know is that he's never raised a hand to anyone in the community, never stolen from someone, nothing. The only so-called crime he's committed is living differently. And apparently his tent gets trashed often enough that he takes it in stride. Not well, but that it's a thing that happens and it's part of what living there means.

I'd really rather this place was so different they didn't attack the outsiders, the different people. An unrealistic utopia is a lot more pleasant than a place where an old man in a tent gets attacked for being an old man in a tent. I've met more frightening shellfish than him.

And the next time someone feels like bothering an outsider - come bother me. I promise, I do fight back. Or is that what you're afraid of?

Unrelatedly - BunGal, your email box is full. And no, I won't get a rabbit for you and ship it. I definitely won't smother it and ship it so you can do an autopsy. That's disgusting. You want a dead rabbit, you're on your own. Also, I think they might be sacred, so I doubt they'd be cool with it either.


	19. Epistle: BunGal 1

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To BunGal:

Grace to you, and peace through YOBA.  I trust that your studies continue to go well, and that you are enjoying the fruits of your labors.

It is not uncommon for our Valley to have visitors from Outside - our festivals are well-known for their exuberance, and our surroundings for their beauty.  People come from far and wide to walk in our forests, swim and fish in our rivers and streams, and relax on our pristine beaches.  Most come for a short time - a day, perhaps, or a week - and then go back to whatever holds them to an ordinary life.  Our Community has seen them come and go, and we are content with this rhythm as it is part of our sacred Cycle.

Sometimes, there come visitors for longer stays.  These people cannot truly explain what draws them here, only that they must find a reason to attach to their desires, and so they express a wish to "try a simple life", or to "take an extended holiday from the rat race".  And, they act on those stated wishes and come to the Valley and stay for a time - a month, or two, or three.  Some return to the Outside after this, refreshed in ways they cannot comprehend, and they long to return for the rest of their lives.  

And some remain, not sure what holds them in this Valley beyond a burning need to be in this place.  When those people come, they are known to be Called by YOBA, and we know that they  _must_ answer even when they do not.  Those who are Called are part of our Community regardless of where their path takes them, and we encourage and support them as we encourage and support one another.  To live according to the Cycle is a trial; those born to it often have difficulties, and they have no distractions from Outside to move them from YOBA's path.  But, when someone is Called to us from Outside they have many distractions.  They are reminded of their lives Outside the Valley over and over, and they have to actively direct their attention back to what YOBA intends.  Those Called from Outside need more, and our Community supplies it: assistance with tasks they aren't used to performing, help understanding the ramifications of certain actions and expressions, direction in our sacred traditions.  They must focus on life in the Valley, with guidance and support.

You, BunGal, are not providing support.  Your friend is here for a stated purpose, and you are not in tune with that purpose.  You seek to distract, to bring up topics that have no place here, to poke and prod until you get a response that validates your _own_ course.  You mention dissection of a  _sacred animal_ in the same jocular tone a child would ask for another slice of cake, and you do so with no care for the ramifications of those words.  You are an unnecessary distraction, and only by modifying your behavior can you ever hope to provide what your friend needs - unquestioning, _unconditional_ , support.

If you care as much as you think you do, you will do what is best for your friend.

My regards, and may YOBA have a hand in your life.

****************************************************** 

BunGal says:

I do not believe this.  I asked about scientific knowledge, and you respond with mystic ramblings.  His _purpose_ is that of a thesis, not whatever calling you're talking about.  As far as a sacred animal, you're talking about rabbits.  They breed quickly enough it's not like you're going to run out.

Your own church, or cult, or whatever you are talks about rabbits that have their feet fall off.  Because they have extras.  Do you have any idea how unheard of this is?  Don't you want to know more about it?  Or is this the Dark Ages, and we're all going to pretend there's nothing weird going on because that's just your god's will?

As far as support, oh, I support him.  In getting his degree and getting out of there before he starts to believe you people.  I've half a mind to show him this email myself.  I can't help but wonder what he'd think of you calling me an unnecessary distraction.  What he'd think of you trying to isolate him from his friends.  Do you know what that's called here in what you so quaintly call "Outside"?  We call it abusive behavior.

Don't you dare push him away from me.  And keep your god out of my life.

****************************************************** 

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To BunGal:

Grace to you, and peace through YOBA.  

Your request was heard, but is impossible to fulfill as neither I nor any mortal has the power to control YOBA's actions.  YOBA does as YOBA will.  I will, however, refrain from encouragement.

Scientific knowledge, and study, is a noble goal, and this is why you were given the information you needed when you asked about arranging transportation and lodging so you could visit our Valley.  However, you were also informed that our rabbits are  _sacred_ and that it was likely you'd be able to observe and handle them (with supervision) but that you would not be provided with specimens for dissection and/or necropsy.  The very reasons you cite for wanting to study them are the reasons they are so important to us - they are YOBA's will made manifest - and though you do not hold to our beliefs, doctoral students are held to specific codes of conduct to ensure their research is ethical.  Your actions, after hearing what you did not want to hear, do not appear to be in line with such codes, although I would need to re-read the information provided by your University to be absolutely sure.

(As an aside, your mention of the speed of rabbit reproduction does not apply to our variety.)

In order that there be no misunderstanding between us, I will reiterate: our Community does not permit the removal of our native rabbits, whole or partial, from this Valley.  Our Community does not permit those from Outside to observe or handle our native rabbits without direct supervision.  Our Community permits, in controlled circumstances, photographs to be taken of our native rabbits and for those photographs to be taken into the Outside World for the purpose of study.  Those who are able to adhere to these restrictions are more than welcome here.  Those who are not able should take another look at their motivations, at  _whom_ they are contacting, and for what purpose.

On the other item you mention, I encourage you to share this communication if you believe it necessary.  No one in this Community is proscribed from contacting those in the Outside World, nor is anyone prohibited from remaining in contact with friends and loved ones who may not be here with them.  Indeed, we have multiple Community members who have left the Valley and are in the Outside World now doing YOBA's work, including several who have joined one of the armed services.  When they return, they remain in touch with whom they will, and those they care about from Outside are welcome to come and stay for as long as they wish.  

I maintain that your friend will benefit from unconditional, unquestioning, support from those who care for him, but only he can say for sure whether that's what he is getting.  There are a multitude of tasks to which I turn my attention, and doing the intricate dance required to separate someone from those he loves is not one of them.  My experience is that those who are meant to be left by the wayside will be without my having a hand in it.

My regards, and may you achieve that which matches your actions.

 

**********************************************

BunGal says: 

I have tried to be patient.  I have tried to find a compromise.  But you won't even let me run a genetic analysis on one!  You won't let me xray it.  You won't let your local doctor run the xray and give me a copy.  In short, all I can do is look at it and maybe pet one.  That does nothing to expand scientific information!  And "can do whatever I want with the foot IF your YOBA grants me one" does nothing but prove it's a giant scam.

Truth stands up to investigation.  Only lies need to hide behind the excuses of sacred and restricted.  If you really had faith in these rabbits of yours, you'd welcome me with open arms.

The only logical explanation is that it is a scam, and for some reason, it's one you're pulling on my friend.  To that end, I am forwarding him this correspondence as well as sending it to his advisor.

Take the light that shines.

 

********************************************

LectureBot says:

BunGal, what were you thinking?  I started my morning with an email from Dr. Markowitz chiding me for my lack of professionalism and threatening my funding.  Why?  Because she thought I'd encouraged you.  I had to spend an hour on the phone with her explaining everything.  I have never been so embarrassed and humiliated in my life!  What did you do during the ethics classes, nap?

As I said before I left, part of anthropology is respecting the beliefs of the people I'm visiting.  That means that if they say the rabbit is sacred, I have to treat it as sacred!  If they say they believe the rabbits have ten arms and control their dreams, I have to respect that, too, no matter what I think of it!  Breaking that rule because you say it's necessary for science, or because you want to know, is against every ethical guideline I know of!  To be blunt - your insistence on physical truth is irrelevant.  It does not matter if it's a scam or not.  I have to respect it and treat it as true as far as they're concerned, and that's what matters in my work.

You say you only want to know the truth.  Here's a truth for you - the Speaker is right.  SHE doesn't need to do a thing to drive me away from you.  You've done that all by yourself.  And the email chain is forwarded to your advisor, as well as the Speaker, because I refuse to have any secrets in this.  I want no part of anything you're planning and hereby disavow any involvement in any crazed schemes you might come up with.

There's nothing you can say to put this right, so please don't try.  You could have gotten me kicked out of my program.  And if you try to drag anyone else into this, I will forward the email chain to them, too, so they can see exactly what you were doing.  I suggest you quit before you make things worse.


	20. It Must Be (Moonlight) Jelly!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to our readers for the delay on this Chapter - it took some time to figure out a "proper" angle.

"Come right up front, little ones!  That's right: gather close so you can hear the stories!  Today is the fourth Sunday of Summer, and YOBA has words for  _you_.

"Our Summer has been lovely, don't you think?  We've had hot, sunny days, and the singing of crickets at night; we've had warm rains that help the melons and tomatoes grow sweet and ripe; we've had time to play in the forest, and climb the mountain, and swim in the sea.  

"Every single day this Summer has shown me how much YOBA loves us and takes care of us, and I'll just bet that you can think of something you did, or heard, or saw that was a Blessing from YOBA.  Who has something to share with us?

<pause>

"Oh, that's a good one, Jas!  Having the cool river to jump into on a really hot day is definitely a Blessing from YOBA.  Who else can think of one?

<pause>

"Wow, Vincent - it sounds like you really loved that tomato!  I can hear how happy you are that YOBA gives us such delicious fruits and vegetables.  Anyone else?

<pause>

"That sounds...

<pause>

"Now, that could be...

<pause>

"Well, Lily, I am very happy that you got your shoe back.  Praise YOBA!

<congregation echoes, "Praise YOBA!">

"YOBA has given us so many Blessings this Summer...but there's one more waiting for us, and I know you all know what it is.  Today, after service, we will finish our candle boats and then, tonight, we will all go down to the beach to welcome the Moonlight Jellies. And so you will know them, and know they are part of All That Is, I will tell you the Story:

"Long ago, before Speaker-Before-Me, a Speaker and a Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, met on the beach in the evening.  They walked together and talked together, Speaker on the land-side, Wizard on the water-side, as was the custom.  What they discussed, I cannot say, but as the moon rose, the Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, spied something in the sea and cried out, "Behold!  Within the waves, something is shining!"  

"The Speaker, Blessed by YOBA, looked and saw it too - an object that rose and fell with each swell of water, and that glowed with a mysterious light.  Both Speaker and Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, raced toward it and, without thought for custom or decorum, waded into the sea 'til they were knee-deep and the object was within arm's reach.  Neither Speaker nor Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, touched the object, for it was something never seen before, but they watched it closely, closely, CLOSELY so it would become known to them.

"The Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, set a spell of light to hover over the waves, and as the object came into that light the Speaker, Blessed by YOBA, saw that it moved with purpose, and knew it was alive.  Both Speaker and Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, saw that it was  _in_ the water, but not  _of_ the water; that it loved the light and came close to it; that it moved  _with_ the water and also moved  _without_ the water.  They saw that it flowed and had no bones, and that it glowed but had no light of its own.

"The Speaker, Blessed by YOBA, said, "This creature shines with a light not its own - it gathers the radiance of YOBA and reflects it into the world so we may see it.  Truly, we are Blessed by YOBA to see such things!"

"The Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, said, "This creature was shown to us by YOBA, that we might understand the radiance and recognize YOBA's many Blessings.  We must share this with the People."

"That night passed, and the next, and the next, and a year of Seasons later the Speaker, Blessed by YOBA, and the Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, led the People to the beach on Fourth Sunday of Summer.  And the People saw the creature, and how it reflected the light of the moon, and called it 'Lunaloo'.  And when the People saw that Lunaloo would come to the light of the Wizard, Blessed by YOBA, they were filled with Joy.  "Surely," they said, "more Lunaloo will come if we bring YOBA's light to the water."  

"And so, they did, year after year, on Fourth Sunday of Summer.  And, the People were Blessed by YOBA with the return of the Lunaloo, who are part of All That Is, and share YOBA's radiance with us.

"Tonight, children, we join the cycle by bringing YOBA's light to the water, and the Moonlight Jellies, once called Lunaloo, bring YOBA's radiance to us.  Each candle boat we float calls to another Jelly, and each Jelly that comes reminds us that YOBA watches and cares for All That Is, including Us.

"And now, let us close Fourth Sunday with song!  Sing out, children!  Sing out!

"Speaker tells me  
I am YOBA's child!  
And I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!

The Farm is empty,  
But I know a Farmer comes.  
And I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!

In this Valley  
The Cycle is unending.  
So I sing a song of Joy;  
YOBA loves me!  I am Chosen!"

 


	21. And sometimes, it's exactly what it says on the tin.

After the last Children's Church, I have to admit I was facing this one with a bit of - let's say trepidation.

I could not have been more wrong.

The moonlight jellyfish are one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring things I've ever seen. I was expecting something bizarre, but what I saw was amazing beauty.

I wish I had the words to express what I saw. The majesty of the glow, as we watched in silence. The way they danced underwater. Yes, if I'm being technical, they were glowing jellyfish. Or at least, looked like glowing jellyfish. But at that moment, they were so much more.

It's difficult to balance a moment like that with the demands of research. Because it felt like a moment out of time, out of the normal world. I can't just talk about the specifics of what happened without losing much of the event. Sure, we stood around after launching a boat covered in candles and watched as the Moonlight Jellies swam up to the dock. And we watched until they swam off again, and then we went home. If you're talking about the purely physical. And I suppose, if I had seen it every year since I was born, I might take it for granted. Even be bored by it. But even the most jaded teenager watched in silence when the jellyfish swam up to the dock.

Some events defy all attempts at description. This is one of those. I can tell you what I saw. I can describe the jellyfish in detail. But unless you stand on that dock on the last day of summer and watch them swim up, you will not understand the majesty of it.


	22. Half A Year - Retrospective

My year in Stardew Valley is halfway done. One year of study, one full cycle of holidays and religious observances.  The Midnight Jellies marked the halfway point for me.

Seems hard to imagine.  When I first came here, I thought I knew what to expect.  One more weird cult, with specific twists to make this one unique, but really, more of the same.  I expected this to be easy.  If anything, after having looked over the information available to the outside world, I almost dismissed this as not interesting enough.

I'm so glad I didn't.

The basic structure of the area is the same as anywhere else: an agricultural village centered around a tavern for socialization and a church for meaning.  An area that had been semi-isolated for so long their culture had drifted, but not so far that we couldn't communicate with the same language.  The kind of place where cults of personality can easily spring up, survive the generation of their founder, and disappear again.  That occasionally outlive their founders, if the underlying theology actually makes any sense.  I assumed this was one of those, and the Yoba they mentioned either the name of their founder or the god he'd created.

What I didn't expect was a system that made sense.  That actually worked.  That didn't trace itself back to a specific individual that was revered almost on level with a god.  So far as I can tell, the closest there is to a holy human figure is the Farmer, and even that is a role, not an individual.  The Farmer is the person that appears and takes up the role.  Specific farmers are not named.  Unless there's a history somewhere that I don't have access to, I don't think there's even a record of how many Farmers there have been.  It's simply a role people occasionally show up and live.  And then die, and it is empty until the next one.

This isn't a fly by night cult predicting the end of the world and suggesting everyone give their money and women to the leader.  This is a fully-fledged solid religion, with theological underpinnings it could take years to unravel.

I've never been so glad to be so wrong about a subject.  Or so interested in what I will discover next.

The only thing I do know is that whatever I expect for the rest of the year, I'm bound to be wrong.  And I'm just fine with that.


	23. Epistle: Seeker 1

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To...

To...

I shall be frank - any identifier I use for you will (most likely) be taken in a way I neither expect nor fathom.  Just as you are having to keep our differences in mind as you study our Community, I am having to keep your differences in mind and tread more lightly than I am accustomed.

I think I will use your "handle", as you chose it for yourself and it does not appear to have any associated pitfalls.  And so, I begin again:

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To LectureBot, who is ever-growing in understanding:

Grace to you, and Peace through YOBA.  I trust that you are finishing up your activities of this Season and are beginning to prepare for the next.  As you've no doubt been told by other members of the Community, this coming Season is a busy time for us and there is information you should have  _beforehand_  so that you are not taken unawares.

First, Services will return to their "usual" hour as of this week - you may recall that, in Summer, they begin two hours earlier than in the rest of the year.  This will provide you with some extra time in the day for contemplation, or a meal, or even for sleep, before traveling into town...should you continue to choose to attend.

Second, the Fair occurs this Season, on the 16th.  In the days that lead up to it, our Valley becomes quite crowded as Outsiders travel to participate.  Should you have any friends or family who wish to visit during this time, I suggest that you speak with either Marnie or Lewis as both have plenty of room for visitors and neither makes this information freely known to those without direct connection to someone in our Community.  As you are such a connection, anyone you wish to invite is more than welcome, although it most likely goes without saying that we will expect them to be respectful of our traditions during their stay.

Third, this is the Season that the pomegranates ripen and you may come across them while going about your day.  Rest assured, the trees have no intent of proposing marriage and you may eat them without fear.

My regards, and may YOBA guide your feet as you walk the path.

***************************************************

_LectureBot is fine, it's what many of my friends in the university claim I am._

_Thank you for the reminder about services.  I would have shown up early and felt a royal idiot, or at least a very tired one.  And I'm sad to hear the trees have no intention of proposing.  I was thinking the one by the blacksmith was looking cute lately._

_As far as guests and the Fair, I'm afraid there's a bit of an issue.  While BunGal has not contacted me directly, she has apparently mentioned in the hearing of other friends that she intends to come down here for the Fair.  I'm not sure what her intentions are, but honestly, I don't trust her.  I want it clear that if she's here, she's not here as my guest.  On the other hand, I do have a friend I want to invite, and I don't want to cause him problems by putting him in the middle._

_Of course, he's also a college student, so a sleeping bag on the floor of my cottage would probably be fine.  I'll talk with him and see what he wants to do.  Assuming there's no problem with it (I can't imagine why there would be, but at this point, I'm just verifying everything) he can stay at my place for the weekend.  That removes the issues for him, and I don't particularly care what BunGal thinks of me these days._

_My thesis advisor has also made noise about visiting, but I'm entirely unsure if that was serious or not.  Odds are good the professor doesn't know either and won't until she's either on the way or not.  She's - well, not exactly the most planned out individual.  There are campus legends about her showing up at random places just to "check up" on her students.  And former students.  And - well.  Showing up when outsiders normally show up would be shockingly conventional for her, shall we say.  I'm not saying she wouldn't, but since the Valley isn't closed the rest of the year, it would be unexpected._

_As far as my family goes, as long as I refuse to become an investment banker like my father, there's little worry they'll have anything to do with me.  Or I with them.  And they would never show up to something so "rustic" as a harvest celebration._

_In any event.  I only expect one person that I'm inviting.  And possibly two that I'm not, only one of whom would be welcome._

***************************************************

Speaker  , by the Will and Call of YOBA, To LectureBot:

Grace to you, and peace through YOBA.

As Speaker, one of my roles is intercession on behalf of Community members.  Should you wish me to express your disappointment to the tree you have only to ask!

Thank you for informing me about your (potential?) visitors.  While Outsiders are welcome at any time, knowing that you’ve specifically invited one of them will ensure that we lean more toward hospitality than vigilance in his case.  With regard to your advisor, she will find us as most find us - Welcoming, yet Cautious.  We’ve found, over our long history in this Valley, that both are required when it comes to assessing the actions of those who were not born into this Community.

For BunGal, well, she will see what we wish her to see.  I will recommend that those who tend the rabbits be on their guard, but then again that is usual during a time when Outsiders are present.  As we are well-aware that she is capable of working outside usual ethical practices, so are we well-prepared for her...although a hint as to what she looks like would not go amiss!

(As an aside, I have never understood the attempt by Outsiders to mask their nature when their true intentions are so obvious!  Is this a usual practice for adults?  Why are their children not taught that such things are futile?)

In any event, should you need anything from me, or from the Community, please do let us know.

My regards, and may YOBA open the way for you.

***************************************************

_Speaker -_

_You know why BunGal lost it?  I have to say, I’d love to know, myself.  She’s never even cared about my work before.  Always going on about wasn’t it funny that people believed such odd things, and wouldn’t I be happier in a hard science.  As if she never heard a thing I said anyway._

_But I’ll come by the tavern tonight, if that’s all right.  I’ve got some group pictures that I can show around with her in them.  Probably best I get out of here for a few hours.  I caught myself putting three whole pages of a novel in the middle of a chapter in the thesis about the Farmer.  Somehow I doubt any of that was really relevant, unless your Farmer really does have long conversations with vegetables.  That talk back.  About gossip about the frogs._

_Tell you what, I’ll bring that along too.  Hopefully it’s good for a laugh._


	24. Contemplating Harvest

" _Plant and grow, feed and water;_  
_Tend with care.  Then,_  
_Use your Gifts, and when time comes,_  
_Be unafraid to Harvest."  
_ \- The Book of YOBA, Chapter 4, verse 73

 

"The Season has turned once again, and we leave the heat and moisture of summer for the glory of Fall.  As is usual in our Valley, Fall has come quickly - the trees are already dressed in vibrant shades of crimson, and flame, and gold, and the air holds a hint of crispness.  Soon, soon we will wake to a trace of silvery frost upon the ground, and our children will create a kingdom of pumpkins, and cornstalks, and a rainbow of leaves piled high in which to play.   

"But, not today.  Today is first Sunday of Fall, and a day set aside for YOBA.  Today is for Contemplation.

"YOBA, as we know, is ever present, ever with us.  Whether we are playing or working, eating or sleeping, in our beloved Valley or in the Outside World, YOBA is there, guiding us along the path we walk.  At times, we can feel this guidance in an almost physical way, as if we could reach out and take YOBA's hand in ours and wander All That Is together.  Other times, we need reminding that we are not alone in this Universe, that there is Someone watching over what we do, and that YOBA's Gifts transcend the tangible.  Reminders can be as simple as the scent of the ocean carried on the wind to the top of the mountains, or the way a scarlet leaf twirls slowly slowly to the ground, or the sweet-tart taste of Lewis' incomparable blackberry cobbler...

"Not a hint, Lewis, but a  _reminder_ that the Community is most appreciative when you choose to make it!

<laughter from the congregation>

"When we look for them, reminders of YOBA are easy to find.  On fourth Sunday of Summer, I asked the children of our Community to give examples of YOBA's Blessings, and they did not disappoint.  Every child can look around them and find signs of YOBA, and Gifts and Blessings, and can speak about them freely.  For adults, though, it is more difficult.  Our days, and our minds, are filled with chores and tasks that must be done, and during Fall, our busiest season, we are full almost to bursting.  We have our largest influx of Outsiders during Fall - so many from the Outside World journey here for our Fair, or come to reunite with family and friends on Spirit's Eve.  There is wood to be chopped for fuel, and grass to be cut for winter fodder.  There is fishing to be done, and crops to be gathered and laid down for the Winter.  For those who mine, there are pickaxes to be cleaned, and swords to be sharpened and bombs to be crafted.  I can tell you, with no embarrassment, that first Monday of Winter is almost a rest day for me - I am  _that_ exhausted!

<laughter, again, from the congregation and much nodding>

"But today, on first Sunday of Fall, I am your reminder of YOBA, just as was Speaker-before-me for so many years.  Today, I am your reminder of YOBA, and Contemplation.  

"In Fall, Services are designed to be understandable to Outsiders should any wish to attend, and this is more on my mind of late as I think on words and how their meanings differ from place to place, from culture to culture.  As an example of this, consider: Contemplation is unique to our Community as far as I can tell; I have heard no one speak of it, nor have I read of its existence anywhere else except where those from our Community have chosen to settle in the Outside World.  And yet, Outsiders would say they contemplate, if asked.  To their ears, the words are the same and so the actions must also be the same.  In the Outside World, to contemplate is to focus thought upon an object, or a concept, to ponder it with intent, to absorb a knowledge of that thing beyond what they had before, and so grow themselves and their understanding of the world around them.

"To our ears, though, the words are as unalike as a fish and a rock, and so are the practices.  We Contemplate to gather and grow as a Community, to join with each other in the Communal Core created by those who came before us.  We Contemplate to increase our collective understanding of where we are stable and strong, and where we must be shored up.  We Contemplate in honor of the Cycle, to acknowledge our place within All That Is.  We Contemplate to go within, that we may grow without and continue to be Blessed as YOBA's Children.  

"And then, in years without a Farmer, we Contemplate toward another end, toward Harvest.  We learn, as we join together and our minds intertwine, what pleases YOBA most and pluck it from the vine as a Gift before it withers.

"Oh, I see your faces - some of you have done this many many times over and think there is nothing left to learn.  Ware, lest your complacency prevent you from communing as you should!  Others here are caught between anticipation and terror, for today is your First Contemplation.  Fear not!  Is it not written that we will Use our Gifts and, when the time comes, be unafraid?  You are ready - I have met with each of you to pave the way, to prepare for you a place in our Communal Core, and you have built your Silent Place upon a firm foundation.  You will Contemplate, and be born up, and Give of yourself for Harvest.  

"My brothers and sisters, today is glorious.  YOBA has Blessed us, and we will take that Blessing with us as we Contemplate.  We are ready and we are about YOBA's work.  Praise YOBA!

<congregation echoes, "Praise YOBA!">

"And now, let us rejoice together in the words YOBA has given us:

"The breezes blow,  
The rain falls gently down,  
Upon the heads of YOBA's people.  
We are renewed, we are reborn.  
As the Cycle turns again,  
We come to offer praise,  
In hope the Seeker comes,  
To bring a Farmer."


	25. On Contemplation

At the end of service, the Speaker came to me and invited me to join in the Contemplation tonight.  Join - not observe.  Apparently it's one of those all or nothing kinds of things.

She'll be running it with the Wizard.  Whoever that is.  I've been wondering about him for a while.  I gather he's rather a hermit, but why such a title?  And from what I've gathered, there's always a Wizard.  Which raises more questions.

I'm going, of course.  For some reason this surprised the Speaker.  She seemed to think I'd be more hesitant.  More unwilling to participate directly in something.

And I am uncertain, in that I'm getting far more involved than I'd originally intended.  I'm still leery about being the Seeker of their prophecies.  But I'm starting to accept that my opinion on the subject truly doesn't matter.  In their beliefs, I fit.  They don't expect me to believe.  They don't expect me to conjure a Farmer out of a hat.

To steal their own metaphor, I'm here to till the soil so a Farmer can be planted.  And I do that by questioning, by shaking things up.  Making room.  By seeking answers.

I can do that.

In fact, try to stop me.


	26. Contemplation - Account Of

Contemplation - Retrospective

I am going to start with a factual account of what I saw and experienced, and then do my analysis in the next post. The Speaker has confirmed that as long as I do not include the words of the chant or the ingredients of the drink the rest can be shared, and has vetted this description of the event as accurate and not betraying any secrecy. First, though, I will insert what the Speaker gave me as to the purpose of this ritual.

_Contemplation is an annual occurrence in our Community. Describing it for someone who did not grow up here is...difficult, but not impossible, as I do instruct new Community members as they come of age. You have spent enough time with us to have an Understanding of YOBA, and the Cycle, and your anthropology studies may have given you knowledge you can apply to the concepts without too much being lost in translation._

_We are the Children of YOBA, as you’ve heard me say week after week in my sermons, and when this Community took on that role so long ago, we were bound to the rhythm of YOBA’s Cycle. This means we live synchronized with the ebb and flow of All That Is - the wax and wane of each Season, the turning of the Earth, the slow spiral dance of the Galaxy - and we can no more step outside the Cycle than a rabbit can decide not to drop its feet._

_YOBA’s Cycle has within it specific milestones, times and places where rituals must be performed, in order for our Community to thrive. Some of these are so small as to go unrecognized by anyone save those who must acknowledge them, and others are large enough to require more participation. All of the festivals you’ve celebrated in your time with us thus far have been tied to one of these milestones, and there are many many more that you never even noticed and would not be asked to celebrate even if you did. I, as Speaker, am both servant to the Cycle and to the Community, and I am the one who marks the milestones faithfully with ritual._

_In this Season of Fall, we have three milestones that require participation of the entire Community. Two of these, the Fair and Spirit’s Eve, have a component that allows Outsiders and children to participate. But the third does not - Contemplation is a milestone in the Cycle that cannot be observed by me alone and requires Community involvement, and it is the ritual of Contemplation that I am inviting you to attend._

_The purpose of Contemplation is twofold - to strengthen the connections and bonds within the Community that it may flourish, and to reaffirm the Community’s connections and bonds with YOBA and the Cycle. A ritual is used to do this, crafted by the Speaker and the Wizard, and performed by the Community with our direction and guidance.. The ritual itself varies depending on certain portents and signs and the overall state of the Community at the time of Contemplation, but there are too many factors to describe all of them to you. If you like, though, I can give you an idea of the elements we took into consideration for this year’s ritual._

_This Fall, we are Blessed by YOBA - we’ve had few damaging storms so our crops are plentiful, and the milestones of Spring and Summer were well acknowledged. The number of visitors to the Valley has increased above expectations, and we have several new Community members living among us. As well, though, we are missing Pieces of the Whole - no Farmer has appeared, no one has recognized themselves as Seeker, and the Junimos remain silent and unseen. In addition, we have an Outsider company operating in the Valley, increasing Outside Influence on our Community members. All of these things must be weighed, their impact on Community assessed, and ritual crafted accordingly._

We gathered at Marnie’s, then were led in silence by the Speaker past the lake and to a part of the forest I hadn’t been to. There was a fallen log blocking our path, but when we arrived it lifted out of the way. On the other side was the Wizard. He bowed to us, and we bowed (raggedly) back. Then we followed Speaker as she led us to what looked like a dilapidated former temple, with broken columns and moss-covered stone. In the center sat a statue. We sat in a ragged semicircle around him, settling wherever we felt most comfortable. In the front was the Speaker. Behind us, the Wizard.

They began call and response, repeating the chant. The Speaker stood before us, the Wizard paced behind, so we were caught between the two. As we were moved to, we joined in, singing or humming as our mood and vocal abilities led us.

A fire was slowly laid, each person moving in turn to the woodpile, taking a stick or a wad of paper and adding it where we felt it belonged. Then it lit, apparently by itself, a great gush of fire up to the sky before dying back to a normal height.

At this point my memory stops, though I am assured all I did was sag to the ground, as others did around me. When next I awoke, I was home, in my bed. These are the facts of the ritual. Though not my experience of it.


	27. Contemplating Contemplation

Contemplating Contemplation

 

Okay, yes, that’s horrible, but I couldn’t resist.

More seriously, I found this ritual rather more intense than I’d expected.  To the point that I feel the need to start off by telling any of my friends reading this that, yes, I’m fine.  I don’t need or want a rescue. And I cannot believe I need to put that line in my official report.

The thing is, I keep having expectations.  Even though I try to avoid them, or at least acknowledge them and respect that they’re not necessarily correct.  But I expected something more like the Gotoro Peace Refugee ritual. Pomp and pageantry, not - not actual vision.

I don’t quite know how to process an actual vision.  A vision shared by everyone that was there.

I suppose I’ll start by saying what I saw.  I’ve invited the Speaker to add any points I miss, and if we saw something different, to point out the differences.  She says that what I experienced is exactly what Contemplation is, and that I was there proves I’m part of the community.

I’m not dealing with that yet either.  I’m not against it, exactly, I’m just confused by it.  Part of the community means far more than just living here.

First, the vision.

I found myself standing in what I suspect was what the dilapidated temple originally looked like.  It was open to the sky, but the floor was unbroken white marble, gleaming and smooth. The columns reached up, supporting a trellis that stretched overhead and supported flowering plants.  The air was thick with scent. The statue, instead of looking like a hunched over old man, had straightened and grown into that of a person in the prime of their life. I say their, because the statue was both male and female and both and neither, all at once.  This I simply knew.

After looking around for a moment, I became aware of the Speaker and the Wizard also being there.

Another moment, and doors began to appear in thin air, the various townsfolk stepping through them.  Then at once, they all slammed shut.

We faced the statue, and in front of it a creature appeared.  What I saw was a small bouncing thing, almost cartoonish. But I could also tell somehow that it was far more than what I could see.  That I could not understand the true picture, and so I was shown an easier one.

The creature spoke to all of us, somehow each conversation being both private and shared.  I only remember pieces of the conversation with me, though.

Mostly, I remember being told all of this was real, and it was okay for me to accept it.  Or not accept it, if I’d rather - what would be, would be, and how I rode the currents was mine to decide.

To us all, a warning.  One who could be the Farmer comes.  But the Outside has plans for the Valley, and those plans have no room for a true Farmer.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

**7 Responses to Contemplating Contemplation**

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ASpeakerZ says:

 

 _Your...description of your experience with Contemplation is interesting.  But, I should start by saying that each individual experience is unique, and it is only in the collection of experiences that the full story can be told.  I wonder if it might be interesting, or instructive to collect the experiences of those who participate for our histories…_  

_I digress._

_That you spoke with the Junimo tells me much, and I can affirm that yes, what you saw was real, what you experience in our Valley is real, and that you are as much a part of our Community as anyone who was born here and steeped in the air, soil, and water._

_My thoughts on this are many, and it might be better for your understanding to ask any questions you have?_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

LectureBot says:

 

I suppose my first question is, what is that Junimo?  Like many things here, that isn’t something I’m familiar with.  Is it a spirit? Some other kind of being?

As far as collecting them, I’d be happy to conduct interviews, on or off the record.  It would be nice to have something I could give back to the community that’s actually related to my training.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

VellaDoll says:

 

_You did it!  You found a gift that isn’t socks!_

_Speaker, don’t let him gift socks unless he makes them himself!  And if he does that, please get video?_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

LectureBot says:

 

Yes yes, it’s a miracle, I know.  Thanks for pointing that out. I can just see you jumping up and down screaming at your phone and scaring everyone.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

ASpeakerZ says:

 

_I came in prepared to answer your question about the Junimo but…_

_You knit socks?  Are they warm? There are several families in the Valley who would benefit from thick, warm socks this Winter.  In fact, I’m surprised no one mentioned that Vincent loves ‘Socks’._

_How long does it usually take you to make a pair?  Could you have them ready by Winterstar?_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

LectureBot says:

 

I - uh - what?  Really?

I mean - really?  You’re not mocking me right now?  You’d like knitting?

Vincent’s feet aren’t that big, I don’t think.  I could make socks for him.

You are serious, right?

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

ASpeakerZ says:

 

_Why would I joke about Gifting?  It’s traditional, especially at Winterstar.  Lewis performs the Pairing Ritual each Winter, and then around the 18th each Community member receives the traditional notification on truffle oil-infused paper.  I’ll let him know you’d like to be paired with Vincent - it’ll save him some time._

_To answer your original question: the Junimo are spirits and also not-spirits.  The best way to describe them might be as personifications of our Community. They are the representation of our air, and soil, and water, and spirit in a form we can interact with.  When the Community is in balance, the Junimo are often seen; when it is out of balance, the Junimo hide themselves. Sometimes, as seems to be the case this time, they bring a warning in hopes we will reset the balance before it tips too far._

  _I’ll plan to stop by sometime this afternoon with some wool and my drop spindle, and  we can discuss things further._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------


	28. Epistle: Dr. Markowitz 1

Speaker, by the Will and Call of YOBA, To Dr. Evangeline Markowitz:

Grace to you, and also peace. I trust that your new semester is going well and that your students are applying themselves with diligence.

Thank you for your kind letter and inquiries about visiting during our Fair. It is definitely not uncommon to have visitors, especially this Season, and you are more than welcome. 

I don’t usually find the time to do more than exchange pleasantries with visitors, and I hope your visit will help “break me out of the mold”, so to speak. While you aren’t wrong that that the Fair has particular importance for our Community, I am not bound to any specific duties on that day and would enjoy the opportunity to meet you for either lunch or dinner. I suggest contacting the Stardrop Saloon and requesting a private dining room if you’d rather not be overheard; Gus is always more than happy to help.

As per your request, I will allow you the privilege of notifying your advisee (or not!) of your plans. If you plan to surprise him, however, let me know so I can be nearby; I don’t want to miss his expression!

I look forward to meeting you, and please let me know if you need assistance with any parts of your trip, or if there is anything we should know to help make your visit a pleasant one


End file.
